Joined by bad habits
by Buffy Anne Halliwell
Summary: Paige and Sam meet at a bar, both fighting their inner demons and clueless that they are father and daughter. Set before Charmed's episode H2O, from season 2.


_Well, so my fav Charmed character is Paige, that's why my few fics are mainly about her :P, and I just thought about this, is an one shot so it'll be short, hope you like it, and also I'm still working on my other stories, don't think I've forgotten about them._

_At first i thought of make this as a sequel of "Known Strangers" ( s/9863308/1/Known-strangers) and how Paige had encounters with her biological family without knowing, but it is not, althought it could be related... anyway you decide wether is part of the same story or not :)_

_I don't own charmed or anything, otherwise I'd be out there making a movie instead of writing..._

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A man was sitting alone in a bar, he looked as if he hadn't changed clothes for days and he didn't care, his mind was lost in thoughts for the woman he loved and died, and the child they both had together but couldn't keep.

"Another," the man told the bartender, "leave the bottle," he said after his glass was filled.

The bartender looked as if he were about to protest or say something, but he just sighed, after all, usually the man in front of him wasn't a trouble maker and always paid.

The man kept drinking, his eyes focused on the melting ice in the class in front of him until he felt someone sat on the empty stool next to him, instead of look at the occupant face to face, he looked at the bar's mirror in front of him, he saw a young woman, probably early twenties he thought.

"Beer and a shot of tequila," the young woman asked, as soon as she got her order, she drank the shot and made a sign to the bartender to let him know she wanted another, while the bar tender poured the tequila she took a sip of her beer.

"I'll have one too," the man who had been staring at the young woman through the mirror told the bar tender.

"Sam, don't you think you've had enough?" the bar tender decided now to say something to the man.

Sam snorted, dropped a few wrinkled bills and turned to leave. The young woman grabbed her recently filled shot and placed it next to the thrown bills, "that's what I think about life," she said to no one in particular, Sam saw the shot glass in front of him and took the hint, "another one," he heard the young woman said to the bartender who only sighed and poured another glass before leaving to serve other calling customers.

Sam sat back down, "even that, life keeps punching and punching," he replied without looking at her.

The young woman raised her shot in the air, "a toast for damn life," she said with a mocking laugh.

"I'll drink to that," Sam said and rose his shot as well, both drank at the same time.

"So... Sam, don't think I want something just because I invited you a drink," she said non chalantly, "I just hate when other people decide what's better for one and when to cut on booze."

Sam let out a little laugh, usually he rather be alone and rarely let anyone aproach him, but he felt at ease with that woman, "that thought never crossed my mind, miss..."

"Paige," she replied and continued drinking her beer.

"And besides, you shared yours now I'll share mine," Sam said and took the bootle he asked the bartender before Paige arrived.

The two of them drank almost all that bottle, which in the beginning was barely over the half so it really wasn't much but was enough for both of them to lower their usually high guards.

"I don't want to sound bossy," Sam said, his speaking affected by the alcohol but still clear enough to be understood, "but aren't you too young to deal your problems with alcohol?"

"And not to be a pain, but, aren't you too old to still be drowning yours on it?" Paige said, also not talking in a normal way.

"Drowning," Sam said after they remained quiet for a minute.

"What?" Paife asked.

"That's the thing... she drowned and I was just frozen," Sam said, so focused on the memory that he hadn't realized that he was talking about it, "first I lost my only daughter and then I lost her mother, she drowned in front of me and ] couldn't save her," he said and his eyes covered in tears that he didn't let fall.

"Your wife?" Paige asked, identified by the fact that she lost her family too.

"She wasn't my wife," he answered, "at least she can't see what I've become," he said and took another sip of his glass, "not her or my daughter."

"Was your daughter with her shen she..." Paige stopped herself, not wanting to hurt Sam more by make him recall an obvious painful memory.

"No, we had to give up our daughter, to protect her... her mother and I weren't supposed together," he said softly and then noticed that Paige was staring at him simpathetically, "sorry, I never talk about this, I don't know why-"

"I lost my parents," Paige cut him off, "a six years ago, but still feels recent."

"I lost my daughter and her mother twenty two years ago, trust me kid, it'll always feel recent," he assured her and Paige smiled lightly in return glad to be understood.

"At first I wanted to give up, I was alone, I didn't know what to do with my life, but then I took control of path to honor their memories, rolled into college and found a job, at least I have some stabillity... and then I do this daily to ease the pain and forget that I have no one," Paige pointed at her drink and kept drinking.

"I do this too for the same reason," Sam said about the drinking, "but unlike you, I'm still stuck in the giving up part."

"Then let's keep forgeting," Paige said and looked for the bartender but saw he was busy with other customers, "come on man," she said frustrated that the bartender decided to forget about them, "all I want is that tequila."

When she said this, unnoticed by her who was looking at the bartender and by Sam who had his head laid down over the counter, the bottle of tequila was surrounded by a swirl of blue and white lights and dissapeared, only to reappear immediately in the same way over the counter between Sam and Paige.

After a beat, still unnatended by the bartender, Paige turned back to Sam and saw the bottle, "hey, I didn't notice you stood up to get it," she said with a smile and poured on their glasses. Sam lifted his head and saw the drink and didn't give a second thought of how fast they got it.

Not saying much more they remained there for another while, until their second bottle was empty and both were having more difficulties to talk elocuently, and secretly both liking the fact that on each other's company none of them felt alone.

"Have to go," slurred Paige.

"U drivin'?" Sam asked with concern even that he too slurred.

"Not stupid," Paige mumbled taking out some money, "am walkin'"

"I'm not leaving you kid," Sam couldn't explain himself why he wanted to make sure that Paige got safe to wherever she was heading, he took money out of his pocket and drop it on the counter before Paige could do it, "head the way."

Both stumbled towards the bar's door and walked through the street, it was a calm fresh night, they walked a couple of streets until they reached a building.

"This where I live," Paige said, she sounded sleepy, tired and drunk.

"Thank you, for the company," Sam said with a smile, he hadn't smiled for years but now he couldn't help it.

Both waved to say goodbye and walked opposite ways, Paige stopped on the steps of the building and turned around, "go back!" she said loud enough for Sam to hear.

"What?" Sam asked and took a couple of steps back closer to Paige.

"Back to where she died... say goodbye... helps to move on from the giving up part," Paige said trying to speak as clearly as she could.

Sam nodded, "I will, tank you, take care kid," he said heartedly

"You too old dude," she replied in the same way.

The two of them silently said goodbye unsure if it was going to be the last one or if they would ever meet again.

Paige entered the building and headed to her appartment, the next day; as usual for her; she woke up with a headache and barely on time to get ready for work. While Sam woke up on a camp, where he lost Patty to the water demon, not knowing that Patty's other three daughters were going to be there that same day with the mission to vanquish that demon who took their mother away.


End file.
